


How Do You Do It, Elizabeth?

by spacesquidlings



Series: Like A Fairytale [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Relationship Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:35:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25582198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacesquidlings/pseuds/spacesquidlings
Summary: MC has spent many long, lonely days wandering around the penthouse, but no matter how much time passes she can’t seem to get used to it. She misses Jumin, and she doesn’t know how anyone can go so long without the person they love most.
Relationships: Han Jumin & Main Character, Han Jumin & Reader, Han Jumin/Main Character, Han Jumin/Reader
Series: Like A Fairytale [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844152
Comments: 4
Kudos: 100





	How Do You Do It, Elizabeth?

MC threw herself against the cushions of the couch like she was a disheartened maiden in a fairy tale. Like she’d fallen in love with a dashing stranger in the woods and then been forbidden to see him ever again by her overbearing guardians.

She ran her hands over her face, sighing loudly, the sound echoing through the empty apartment as though she’d screamed it at the edge of a great, vast canyon.

That’s what the apartment felt like some days, anyways. Like a wide, boundless land, and she was a lonely traveler wandering it for eternity.

And while she knew she was being terribly dramatic as she let her imagination run wild for a moment, it was still true that some days the apartment felt so large and lonely she thought it would swallow her whole.

She’d tried playing the piano for a few hours after Jumin had headed to work, feeling his absence keenly, the air seeming colder somehow than it had when he’d been there.

And then when she couldn’t play the keys any longer she’d gotten up to get something to eat, the sudden silence descending over her like a crashing wave. No footsteps coming to greet her, no muttering about her eating habits as she’d set a cinnamon bun and a few apple slices on a plate, no mention of brewing a whole pot as she’d made herself a cup of tea.

She’d flicked on a television drama as she’d eaten, desperately wanting to fill the silence, but even that felt a little hollow, missing Jumin’s presence beside her. Missing his comments, his questions on the state of some of the characters, his confusion over perfectly mundane parts of the character’s lives.

She’d set her plate on the low table next to the couch before flopping over.

She’d been engaged to Jumin for a while now, had been living with him for so long her memories of her old apartment had grown murky. She could hardly imagine life without him at this point, without him nestled against her as they fell asleep, without sharing breakfast together before dawn broke across the horizon, without dozing off next to him as they watched dramas as night enveloped the world.

And yet despite that, despite growing used to wiling away the day alone while Jumin was at work, she found her heart still ached as it had the first time he’d kissed her brow and closed the door behind him. Still felt the same sharp, gnawing loneliness as she’d listened to his footsteps vanishing down the hall.

She missed him. She missed him  _ so much _ . She just wanted to lay her head in his lap and listen to him tell her about his day, about his meetings and his latest business plans. She wanted to listen to him muse about whatever nonsense Seven had posted in the messenger again, to ramble about his favourite book for the week, to ask her opinions on everything that had snagged his interest today.

She sighed again, closing her eyes as she imagined it. Of vivid pinks and reds and violets staining the sky as evening descended on the world, of the air growing cool as the door handle turned, as Jumin stepped into the apartment, his eyes scanning the entrance before falling on her. She imagined leaping into his arms, earning a deep chuckle that would send warmth scattering through her like sunshine, seeping deep into her bones. She imagined pulling off his coat and dragging him into the living room, imagined crawling into his lap and running her hands through his hair as his arms wrapped around her waist.

But her daydreaming was cut short far too soon by something squishing against her cheek, followed by a quiet  _ mew _ .

MC cracked open one eye to see Elizabeth the Third staring down at her, one paw against her face, the other poised to step on her throat.

MC narrowed her eyes as the cat looked at her far too innocently. “Don’t you dare.”

And then Elizabeth did in fact dare, putting all her weight on the paw that stepped right over MC’s windpipe, cutting off her breath as Elizabeth leisurely walked across her face.

MC coughed as Elizabeth decided to curl on top of her stomach, watching MC struggle to breathe.

She mewed again, and MC giggled, reaching out to scratch behind Elizabeth’s ears.

“I’m sorry,” she cooed, moving her hand to scratch the top of Elizabeth’s head. “You want attention too, don’t you?”

Elizabeth began purring, and MC couldn’t help grinning as the cat’s eyes closed. “You must miss Jumin too, huh?”

Elizabeth cracked open an eye at MC’s words, but closed it again after a moment.

“At least you’ve got me,” she said, running her hand over the cat’s back. “I’ll stay here with you.”

For a while the only sounds in the apartment were the muted conversations between the characters on the television and Elizabeth’s purrs. MC continued petting the cat, feeling a little less lonely as Elizabeth fell asleep on her stomach.

“I miss Jumin,” she finally said. “I miss him so much. The apartment feels so empty without him.”

Elizabeth did not respond, instead stretching on MC’s stomach before curling up again.

“I’d like to hold him right now,” she continued, and Elizabeth opened her eyes so they were emerald slits as MC spoke. “Just wrap my arms around him and hold him as tight as I can. I just-” She sighed again. “I just desperately want to hug him right now.”

She wondered if cats could roll their eyes, because it looked an awful lot like Elizabeth wanted to roll her eyes just then.

“How do you do it, Elizabeth?” She asked. “How do you deal with Jumin being away  _ all day?” _

Of course, Elizabeth was a cat, and likely used the time Jumin was at work to wreak as much chaos as she could. Or nap.

She sighed. “I can barely stop myself from calling him while he’s at work, just so I can hear his voice.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you called me at work.”

MC jumped, startling Elizabeth and earning a particularly sharp glare from the cat as she leapt to the floor.

Jumin was standing behind the couch, grinning at her as she stared up at him, so surprised she couldn’t seem to form any coherent thoughts.

“What-” She furrowed her brow as Jumin’s smile widened. “You- How did you-?”

She twisted around, propping herself up on her knees and reaching out to grasp at the ends of his jacket, tugging him towards her. “How did you get here? I didn’t hear you come in at all.”

Jumin’s eyes glittered, reminding her of starlight and crushed diamonds and pure joy. “I wanted to surprise you.”

He leaned down, his nose brushing against hers, his words featherlight against her lips. “But imagine how surprised  _ I _ was when I heard you talking about me.”

MC flushed, feeling heat crawling across her skin, like her entire body was kindling to a fire.

He tipped his head to the side a fraction of an inch, his bangs falling across his brow, his quicksilver eyes sparkling brighter now.

And she couldn’t see it, couldn’t tear her gaze away from his eyes, but she could feel his smile against her lips, too.

“I didn’t realize you missed me so much, princess,” he teased, and her heartbeat stumbled, her stomach somersaulting as he continued gazing down at her with the barest hint of mischief.

“Whatever will I do?” He asked, running a hand through her hair, the other falling to her waist, holding her steady as her hands began to tremble. “Knowing that my princess misses me. That she  _ desperately _ wants to hold me.”

She wrinkled her nose; he wasn’t going to forget this for a  _ very _ long time.

The corners of his eyes crinkled, and she could feel his smile widening. “What do you think?” He asked. “What should I do?”

MC tried to come up with something smart to say, something witty and intelligent that would make him laugh. But she felt like her mind was entirely empty, his hand at her waist and his smiling eyes and his lips so  _ very _ close to hers distracting her completely.

Although there was one thought that managed to form despite the distraction that was her fiancé. One tiny little wish that felt silly and childish, and yet tugged at her heart all the same. Something she wanted desperately.

“Take a day off,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Take a day off of work. I want to spend a whole day with you.”

Jumin leaned away, tipping his head to the side as he studied her. “You want me to take a day off work?”

She nodded, pressing her hands against his chest, her fingers twisting into the material of his shirt. “A real day off. No work calls or going into the office for a few hours or answering emails. I want to spend a whole, entire day with you.”

He quirked a brow, but his eyes were still glittering as the idea took root in his mind. “What would we do?”

“I dunno. We could go to the beach, or we could go out for dinner, or we could go dancing.” She chewed on her bottom lip, her mind whirring. “Or even just sitting and reading or watching movies all day. As long as it’s with you.”

His answering smile was so soft her legs nearly gave out beneath her. But he was still holding her steady, his other hand falling to her waist, keeping her from falling back against the plush cushions of the couch.

His eyes still glowed, but the teasing light had faded, leaving a warmth that reminded her of tight hugs, of being wrapped in her favourite blanket while a storm raged outside.

“That would be wonderful,” he said, reaching up to brush back her hair. “Like something out of a dream, or a fairytale.”

She tilted her head back, a small, wavering thread of hope weaving through her heart as he continued.

“I miss you so much when I’m at work,” he said. “I can focus on the task at hand, and I can complete everything that needs to be done, but I can’t help thinking of you.” He sighed, his eyes closing. “Thinking of you going out with friends, or sitting here all alone, or doing anything really. Without me.”

She tightened her grip on his shirt. “Does that mean you’ll take a day off?”

He chuckled, his eyes flickering open, his gaze meeting hers. “I can’t say no to you, love. But perhaps I can do a bit better than that.”

Curiosity danced through her mind and she leaned closer. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll try to schedule a whole week off,” he said, his eyes glittering again like a star-drenched night. “And then we can spend more than one day together.”

MC’s eyes widened without her realizing it, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him as tight as she could.

“Do you mean it?” She asked, pressing her face against his neck. “Do you really mean it?”

He chuckled again, his arms encircling her waist. “Absolutely. I want to spend as much time with you as I can.” 

His hold around her grew stronger, and she felt his next words against her unbound hair. “And I’ve desperately wanted to hold you all day, too.”

She nestled closer, smiling against his skin. She was finally getting to hold him, finally getting to hear his voice, the wishes she’d been carrying in her heart all day had finally come true.

She thought she could have stayed there forever, his arms around her waist, her heart beating just above his, his face in her hair. She could have stayed there even as dull pain began throbbing through her legs and her knees began to ache from kneeling on them for so long.

But then it was Jumin pulling away, still smiling at her as she blinked, feeling suddenly so very cold.

“That’s probably not a very comfortable spot,” he mused, making his way around the couch.

She watched as he sat down, as he leaned back against the cushions. He looked back at her, holding his arms out expectantly.

MC let him wrap his arms around her, drawing her into his lap. “There,” he said, nuzzling his face against her neck, sending sunlight and gossamer-winged butterflies scattering through her heart. “That’s a bit more comfortable.”

She hummed, smiling as she felt his lips brushing against her skin. With him holding her, the apartment didn’t feel so empty anymore. It didn’t feel so large and vast, and all of her loneliness washed away as he held her. Because with him here, it was home.


End file.
